muck4doo:Joafu: Has President Obama made any kind of declaration/address yet? I'm just lazy at this point, I'm still looking at that crazy hook echo gif of when it went through, I'll go search soon enough.

Emergency declaration. Sure he'll give a speech soon. This is still early yet. Most politicians aren't going to make a major speech until they get good knowledge on the extent of a catastrophic event.

Obama already called the OK gov and pledged any and all support needed. Hours ago.

Rare, but yep, they happen. Coriolis force tends to give hurricanes the spin directions you'd normally associate with the hemisphere "rule", but tornadoes occur on too small a scale to be affected much by it. Wind shear's the main factor there.

Interesting, I did not know that. Although yea it's the wind shear that start's these kinds of storms spinning.

dumbandilikeit:muck4doo: Joafu: Has President Obama made any kind of declaration/address yet? I'm just lazy at this point, I'm still looking at that crazy hook echo gif of when it went through, I'll go search soon enough.

Emergency declaration. Sure he'll give a speech soon. This is still early yet. Most politicians aren't going to make a major speech until they get good knowledge on the extent of a catastrophic event.

Obama already called the OK gov and pledged any and all support needed. Hours ago.

It's really all he can do right now till more information comes in. I expect tomorrow by this time he will have addressed the public with a speech about it. I don't know why anyone thinks politicians should shoot from the hip when tragedies like this occur.

7th Son of a 7th Son:http://livewire.koco.com/Event/Live_Wire_Tracking_Oklahoma_storms_May _ 18 Live feed of KOCO. They are now reporting that they are adding the 40 expected dead to the official death toll. So now it stands at 91. Holy freaking god. :(

I'm visiting a friend in Dallas in a few days. and while it's an entirely different magnitude of stuff, this scared me quite a bit. Same "checking the weather-radar every 2 minutes sort of thing." She was ready to bed down in the bathtub once she realized that the sirens had been going on for half an hour and it wasn't a regular North Dallas sort of thing.

I grew up right across from a Nike Missile base and have this cold-war terror built in as regards sirens. I lived through the unreality of that. I've experienced little earthquakes here on the east coast, I've experienced one big earthquake in Asia, I've lived through hurricanes that got their names retired.

Uchiha_Cycliste:7th Son of a 7th Son: http://livewire.koco.com/Event/Live_Wire_Tracking_Oklahoma_storms_May _ 18 Live feed of KOCO. They are now reporting that they are adding the 40 expected dead to the official death toll. So now it stands at 91. Holy freaking god. :(

ummhima2:Uchiha_Cycliste: 7th Son of a 7th Son: http://livewire.koco.com/Event/Live_Wire_Tracking_Oklahoma_storms_May _ 18 Live feed of KOCO. They are now reporting that they are adding the 40 expected dead to the official death toll. So now it stands at 91. Holy freaking god. :(

dumbandilikeit:They had about 20-30mins of warnings, but not much you can do when faced with a storm of that size.

Obvious questions will be whether Plaza Towers and other buildings had underground storm shelters and whether building codes mandate them. Assume they will be now. But if the storm hit as quick as you say, mandatory shelters don't mean jack if you can't get to them.As another farker said, some of these suburbs look like Dresden times 10.

Ryker's Peninsula:susansto-helit: Uncle works at Tinker so he arrived home pretty late, but his home is still standing. Thankfully he and his wife are the only two people I know who still live in Moore. (Why they still live in Moore after living through all the other tornadoes is a mystery to me.)

According to local news, they're already turning away volunteers and there are mile and a half long lines of cars of people trying to drop off donations. Policy-wise we're not always the most forward-thinking state, but we damn well know how to look after each other.

I guess if you define "looking after each other" as "getting in the way of emergency responders" you're spot on. But, hey, all kidding aside, your state has a really decent college football program for one school and... the old Supersonics, I guess, and that musical. O.K.? You got the "not always the most forward thinking state" part right though.

Actually the volunteers are arriving at pre-approved locations for volunteers and the donations are going to pre-approved donation drop off points. We actually listen to our newscasters. ;)

I was just checking to see what the warnings/watches were for my area, and as I was reading the NWS statement, I realized that I was reading it in that computerized voice you hear on the radio whenever something happens. It's kinda creepy.

I'd also like to add - I'm a father of a daughter in 2nd grade. Last year she had to shelter in place in her school during the April 2012 outbreak and tornado in Arlington,Tx which passed within about 3/4 mile from her school - not to mention heading DIRECTLY for the school her mom works at and her grandfather's house though it died shortly before it hit them.

Frankly, that was nerve-wracking enough. I can't even fathom what these parents are going through seeing pictures of their kids' school flattened and having to sit and wait for some word as to whether or not their child has survived. I would be an absolute emotional wreck. :(

It was about two years a tornado warning went directly over my 4 block or so small patch of neighborhood in Austin. I went outside to see if I saw anything develop, thinking there was plenty of time to get inside to a safe place if anything did. I saw a lot of high winds, but no tornado. Never being that dumb again after seeing this.

We simply cannot always be prepared for every eventuality. Sometimes we have to pick our priorities - as households, cities and counties - to do the best we can within our means every day.

No matter what we do, disasters will happen and our hearts will hurt as they do today. But then neighbor stands by neighbor and helps to lift the beam, offer the shoulder and blanket, cry together and begin again.

Simple, basic values - true hearts and steadfast people - working with the grime rolling down their faces in the rivulets of their tears. There is no blame to lay now, just work to be done and grieving hearts to comfort.

Thank you, those who share what you can, even if it is just solidarity of good thoughts and empathy.

Doubletwist-:I'd also like to add - I'm a father of a daughter in 2nd grade. Last year she had to shelter in place in her school during the April 2012 outbreak and tornado in Arlington,Tx which passed within about 3/4 mile from her school - not to mention heading DIRECTLY for the school her mom works at and her grandfather's house though it died shortly before it hit them.

Frankly, that was nerve-wracking enough. I can't even fathom what these parents are going through seeing pictures of their kids' school flattened and having to sit and wait for some word as to whether or not their child has survived. I would be an absolute emotional wreck. :(

I live not far from Henyrville In, my grandfather lives there. The elementary school was destroyed, most of the town as well. It's not nearly as big, and they are just now getting rebuilt. I can only imagine how long this will take to get back going. My fiancee is pregnant with baby number three and had to go to bed early tonight. We had to shut the TV off :(

Bippal:I live not far from Henyrville In, my grandfather lives there. The elementary school was destroyed, most of the town as well. It's not nearly as big, and they are just now getting rebuilt. I can only imagine how long this will take to get back going. My fiancee is pregnant with baby number three and had to go to bed early tonight. We had to shut the TV off :(

Not to stroll off topic, but it took three kids before you put a ring on it?

Had a feeling someone might have posted that in the other thread, and of course they did. I think it's still probably the most heart wrenching thing i've seen in a long time, and epitomizes this event perfectly.

italie:Bippal: I live not far from Henyrville In, my grandfather lives there. The elementary school was destroyed, most of the town as well. It's not nearly as big, and they are just now getting rebuilt. I can only imagine how long this will take to get back going. My fiancee is pregnant with baby number three and had to go to bed early tonight. We had to shut the TV off :(

Not to stroll off topic, but it took three kids before you put a ring on it?